Soggy spring brings millipedes into homes

Sunday

May 29, 2011 at 12:01 AMMay 29, 2011 at 1:27 PM

Dear Denise: These worms invade my house every spring and sometimes in the fall. They range from a half-inch to 2inches long. They curl up and die on the carpet, so they must need moisture. What are they and how do I keep them out of the house without using pesticides in the house?

Dear Denise: These worms invade my house every spring and sometimes in the fall. They range from a half-inch to 2inches long. They curl up and die on the carpet, so they must need moisture. What are they and how do I keep them out of the house without using pesticides in the house?

- Gary Zeune, Powell

Dear Gary: Your worm is a millipede, and it's moving inside to get out of the rain.

"Normally, this happens in the fall, triggered by heavy rainfall, but our wet spring is causing them to come inside early," said Susan Jones, an entomologist at Ohio State University.

There aren't many effective do-it-yourself chemical applications that can address millipedes, she said, so your best bet for keeping them outside is to remove the places where they prefer to live, such as in piles of leaves and mulch, and under large rocks. Sealing any openings with weatherstripping and caulking around doors will help cut off entry points into your home, Jones said.

Millipedes are most active at night and are attracted to light, so "use yellow (bug) lights outside, and draw the drapes closed at night" to keep from drawing their attention, she said.

Dear Denise: My husband and I purchased a house in January and inherited a "mature" landscaping disaster. We're getting it under control, but I have some questions about care for a neglected dogwood. We realized what it was once it started to bloom last month - reddish flowers with white tips. It's next to our deck in partial shade (we have a wooded lot).

The previous caretakers might have overpruned it to get it to maintain a specific shape. It's kind of spindly and anemic. It is also scarred at the trunk, where it might have split several years ago (the plant is about 15 years old). Among new branch and leaf growth, there were several dead branches. I trimmed them off hoping this might help revive the dogwood during the summer. So far, it doesn't seem to have any diseases or insects.

Any suggestions on care? Should we fertilize it? We might consult an arborist.

- Lauren Barber, Columbus

Dear Lauren: There is hope for your tree, said Mike Ecker, director of horticulture at Dawes Arboretum in Newark.

"It's struggling, but I've seen worse," he said. "This tree's problems are cultural - bad pruning, perhaps compacted soil or something around the tree base - as opposed to insect or disease."

To get the tree back on track, "I wouldn't prune any more live branches at this time," he said. "Let the branches keep (growing) and use the most leaf surface area they can."

He also suggests mulching the tree with organic matter during the summer- "preferably oak leaves, or very decomposed chips" - and watering during prolonged dry spells.

An area of concern is the tree base.

"It goes into the ground in a suspiciously straight fashion. It should have a flare at the base where the trunk turns to roots," Ecker said. "Dig around the base with a trowel to see if a root or something else like plastic twine is still wrapped around the tree's base," inhibiting its growth.

If you do hire an arborist, he or she might be able to apply a soil-injected fertilizer to give the tree extra nutrients.

Dear Denise: You previously mentioned using corn gluten meal to fight weeds. I've called several places in the Columbus area, and they don't carry it. Who does?

- Tim Newell, Delaware

Dear Tim: Corn gluten meal is available at several local retailers, including Strader's Garden Center, Oakland Nursery and Growing Solutions Garden Center, as well as Earth Matters Organic Lawncare.

Dear Denise: A group of 25 families in Hide-A-Way Hills is creating an organic garden to grow veggies for ourselves and area food pantries. I have successfully used newspaper as mulch to keep weeds out of my garden. It is my understanding many newspapers use soy-based ink, which would not be harmful to our organic garden. We need to know whether The Columbus Dispatch uses soy-based ink.

- Jan Ptacin, Sugar Grove

Dear Jan: The Columbus Dispatch is indeed printed with soy-based ink and should be a safe addition to your garden - after you've read it, of course.

Send questions to Cindy Decker, Growing Concerns, The Dispatch, 34 S. 3rd St., Columbus, OH 43215. Include full name and address; names and hometowns are published. Or send by e-mail.